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It’s hard to imagine a downside to relocating to one of the most beautiful tropical paradises in the world. Hawaii’s diversity, natural beauty, perfect weather, and myriad of recreation options make it one of the top dream destinations for many people, and moving there could easily be a dream come true. However, if you’ve decided to pull up stakes and relocate to the tropics, you should be aware that moving to Hawaii is not like moving within the contiguous states. Making this move can be much more difficult. Obviously, you can’t just load up your car and a rental truck and drive your household goods and pets to Hawaii. Take a look at the challenges of relocating to one of the Hawaiian islands. Moving Household Goods Getting your things from your current location to your new Hawaiian home poses some logistical problems. In the case of many household items, you may be better off selling your current possessions and getting new ones in Hawaii. This is especially true if you plan to rent. Rental homes in Hawaii commonly come fully furnished, right down to kitchen supplies, so it may not be worth paying to move all of your furniture and other household items. However, if you’re going to buy a home, or if you have a lot of possessions that you can’t bear to part with, you’re going to have to have them shipped to the island. In that case, container shipping is your best bet. With container shipping, you choose a steel container that’s big enough to fit all of your belongings that you want shipped. You can have the container delivered to your home and picked up once it’s filled. After you fill the container, it will be brought over to Hawaii by boat and delivered to a port on your island, or to your door if you choose. If you don’t have many possessions that you plan to bring, you can save money by sharing a container with another traveler who didn’t need the full amount of space in one container. Shipping Your Car Moving a car or truck is a pressing problem for many people when relocating to Hawaii. Having your car shipped is your only real option, other than selling your car and buying one on the island. Since new cars tend to cost more in Hawaii than they do on the mainland (probably because of the cost of shipping them) it makes sense to have your car shipped instead of buying a car from a dealer in Hawaii. Auto shipping is less expensive if you already live on the West Coast, where the shipping ports are located. If you don’t live near the West Coast, you’ll either have to drive the car there yourself, or pay extra for a door-to-door service that will arrange to have your car picked up and transported to the port. Expect the shipping process to take several weeks, and make sure that you buy insurance to protect your car while it’s being moved. Also, make sure to follow the shipper’s instructions about preparing your car for the trip. Usually, they ask that you clean the car out first — don’t try to use the car as extra shipping space for household goods. Leaving the car empty helps protect...

When you think of customized cars, you probably think of muscle cars and racing cars, not the car, minivan, or SUV that you use to take your family of five to the dentist. But just because you’re a parent and your daily driving routine includes elementary school and soccer practice doesn’t mean that you can’t trick out your car. There are plenty of cool customizations and add-ons that are just as much fun in a family car as they are in a sports car. Some of them are even practical. Check out three of the best ways you can customize your family vehicle. Climate Controlled Seats You need to keep warm in the winter time just as much as anyone, so why not add a little comfort to your daily ride by adding seats that will keep the shivers away. Although heated front seats are more common, you can find heated rear seats as well. You’ll hear fewer complaints about getting ready for school on frosty mornings when your kids know their ride to school will be warm and toasty. Not only are heated seats a fun luxury for you and your family, they also add to the resale value of your car. If you live in a warm climate and you think that heated seats won’t be that much of a benefit to you, you may be happy to learn that you now have the option to choose climate controlled seats as well. These seats have both air conditioning and heating elements. Not only can you have warmth when you need it, you can cool down quickly during the long, hot summers. If you’ve ever recoiled after touching the burning hot seats after leaving your car in the grocery store parking lot for an hour, you can understand what a great benefit air conditioned seats might be. Window Tint Tinted windows are a cool add-on in more ways than one. Not only will window tinting improve the appearance of almost any car, it will help bring down the temperature inside your car by blocking out the sun’s rays. And it isn’t just the heat that window tints block. Quality window tint also blocks UV rays that can cause skin cancer and can make your upholstery crack, fade, and peel. Adding window tint protects your car interior and your family’s health and comfort. One more thing that you may not realize about window tint is that it can actually help protect you if you’re in an accident. On impact, your untinted window may shatter and cause cuts or other bodily harm to you and the other passengers in your car. But with the tinted film applied to the surface of the glass, your windows are less likely to shatter on impact. They may crack, but the film can help hold the pieces together and reduce the chances of cuts and scratches. Remote Starter A remote starter can let you start your car engine from inside the house, before you ever get out to your car. Besides being a fun feature, there are a number of benefits that make a remote starter a perfect choice for a family car. To begin with, this feature allows you to warm your car up before you walk out of the house. That’s beneficial...

If you’ve never owned a car or you aren’t mechanically inclined, engine trouble can be mystifying. Most every car engine will lose oil pressure as time passes. This is typically due to wear around the bearings. In most cases, the oil loss is minimal enough that you don’t notice it between oil changes. If, however, you notice unusually low oil pressure or your engine oil warning light comes on, it’s an indication of a potentially serious problem. Here’s a look at some of the things that you should check to troubleshoot low engine oil. Isolating the Problem The first step in the process is to find the actual source of the oil pressure problem. Start by checking the physical oil level in the car. To do this, you’ll draw the dipstick out of the engine, wipe it clean with a napkin, and then reinsert it. Make sure that it’s all the way in the tube, then pull it straight out so that you don’t scrape it against the sides. Check the reading on the dipstick, making sure that it’s above the “ADD” mark and below the “FULL” line. If the oil level is low, it’s a sign that you have a leak or your engine is burning oil. Spotting a Leak If your oil level is low, you’ll need to spot and seal the leak. The most common spots for oil leaks are around the valve cover, the oil pan and the crankshaft seals. Examine the engine compartment around the valve cover for any dark stains. If there’s no sign of oil blowing out around the valve cover, you’ll need to check around the oil pan. If the oil pan is leaking, you’ll see oil drips on the ground under the car. When you spot oil drips under the car that are too far toward the front of the car to be the oil pan, chances are that your crankshaft seals may be leaking. If so, you’ll have to have the seals replaced right away. Older cars and cars with high mileage have a greater chance of seal damage due to drying and wear. If your car is older, have a service technician check the seals every time you change the oil. Finding Burning Oil When there are no obvious indications of leaks and no oil stains in the engine compartment, your car may be burning oil. Worn valve guides and piston rings are the most common culprits for burning oil. If you suspect that your engine is burning oil, you’ll want to have it inspected by a mechanic, because damaged piston rings and valve guides can lead to significant engine damage if ignored. Checking the Oil Pump If the engine oil level isn’t low, that means that your oil pump may not be distributing oil throughout the engine. To determine if the pump is the problem, a mechanic can connect an oil pressure gauge to the engine near the oil pressure sending unit. If this is case, you’ll want to shut the engine off and have the pump replaced right away. Other Common Issues In addition to the more significant mechanical issues, there are a few other potential causes of engine oil leaks. Check the oil fill cap to be sure that it is tight. A loose cap...

It’s one of every car owner’s worst fears: the choppy or sluggish shifting between gears that usually signals transmission problems. Other than the replacement or rebuilding of your car’s engine, transmission issues are one of the most expensive problems you’ll face as a car owner. How can you decide whether to repair or replace your ailing transmission? Does it depend on the type of transmission you have — standard, automatic, or CVT? Read on to learn more about the fundamental differences between these types of transmissions and when it is wiser to replace, rather than repair. Standard transmission A standard transmission, often known as a “manual,” involves the use of a clutch to engage and disengage the transmission to allow shifting between fixed gears. When properly maintained, these transmissions generally last longer than automatic transmissions — however, when they go bad, they are usually slightly more expensive to replace. Replacing a transmission alone can range in cost from $1,000 to $4,000 or more, with an average of around $2,300. Often, you’ll find that your transmission may fail while your clutch is still in good working condition — however, it’s still usually recommended that you replace the clutch at this time as well. The majority of the cost for a transmission replacement or repair is labor hours, and removing and replacing a transmission and clutch involves the same amount of time and effort as removing and replacing only the transmission. This will add another $400 or more to your transmission repair costs, making the total average cost of repairs at least $2,700 for a standard transmission and around $2,300 for an automatic. Automatic transmission An automatic transmission also operates by shifting between fixed gears, but instead of using a clutch, the transmission does this shifting automatically, when the engine reaches a certain threshold of revolutions per minute (RPMs). If you drive at speeds that cause your engine to frequently shift between gears, you may experience a prematurely-aging transmission. Rebuilding an automatic transmission can cost $1,875 to $2,600, which can often end up being more expensive than replacement. Also keep in mind that a new (replacement) transmission will usually come with a warranty, while the rebuilt transmission will have none — if your rebuilt transmission fails the next day, you’ll still be on the hook for the repair costs and any future needed repairs. Continuously variable transmission (CVT) A CVT is different from both standard and automatic transmissions. Although from the user’s perspective, this transmission operates like an automatic, without requiring a clutch, it has non-fixed gear ratios — in contrast to the fixed gears of a standard or automatic transmission. Without the constraint of fixed gears, the transmission can shift between any number of gears imperceptibly. This constant shifting allows the engine to always run at its maximum efficiency, improving fuel economy. CVTs are also cheaper to manufacture than other types of transmissions. The cost to replace a CVT is estimated at between $4,000 and $7,000. Although this is an expensive solution, there are few auto dealerships or private shops that have the tools, technology, and certifications necessary to repair or rebuild a CVT once it has failed. In this situation, replacement may be your only option. One way to avoid having to replace your CVT too early is to...

You got into a wreck and your car was totaled — at least as far as insurance companies are concerned. But what if you want to keep your vehicle and try to get it fixed — or sell it yourself for salvage? You certainly can do this if you like, but your check from the insurance carrier will be smaller. What Does “Totaled” Actually Mean? An insurance company decides that a vehicle is a total loss when the repairs would cost more than the car is worth or within a certain percentage of the car’s actual value, such as 80 percent. This decision doesn’t necessarily mean the car or truck cannot be repaired, just that the insurance carrier won’t pay the higher cost for repairs. It doesn’t even necessarily mean that the car is not roadworthy. The damage may be entirely cosmetic and the car can still be declared a total loss. How Do You Get a Check While Also Keeping Your Car? The insurance company normally acquires the damaged vehicle and sells it for salvage value. Auto wreckers buy damaged vehicles to dismantle them and sell used parts, and to obtain the scrap value for anything left over. Sometimes they rebuild and restore damaged vehicles and resell them. If you haven’t done so already, tell your insurer or the at-fault driver’s insurance company that you want to keep the car. Ask about provincial regulations regarding keeping a totaled vehicle. There are varying guidelines. The agent will want to make sure you understand that your replacement money will have the salvage value deducted. There’s no one method for determining the salvage value. The insurance company might regularly work with a salvage auction or a salvage yard in your region, for instance, and get pricing from that organization. You have the responsibility of obtaining a salvage or rebuilt title for your vehicle. That alerts any future buyer of the car that it was once seriously damaged. How Much Will the Check Be? If your own collision coverage is paying for the replacement of your vehicle, you’ll receive a check for the value before the collision, minus the salvage value and the deductible. If another driver was at fault, you won’t have to subtract a deductible. What If You Disagree About Your Car’s Value? A vehicle’s actual value — not the salvage value — is determined by standard guidelines. The insurance company might consider the actual cash value of similar vehicles in your area, or use the Kelley Blue Book auto value guide — or a combination. Unfortunately, in many cases, an individual’s vehicle is worth more on a practical level than its actual value would indicate. If the Blue Book value of your car is only $1,000 for instance, you may not be able to buy a truly similar car for that amount. You may have always treated your vehicle with tender loving care and kept it well-maintained. Trying to replace it for a low amount of cash can be difficult. You may be able to dispute the value and get your car appraised, if your insurance policy allows this. The result of the appraisal could get you a higher payment. Getting Your Car Repaired — Or Not Now that you’ve decided to keep your car, you have certain options. If the...

If you love your car, you want it to look as gorgeous as possible every day. Unfortunately, the elements can damage your car’s paint and even fade the color over time. Maintaining gorgeous paint quality means protecting your car with wax or paint sealant. Both options have their strengths and weaknesses, so it’s up to you to choose the best protective coating for your vehicle. What Is Carnauba Wax? Favored by car enthusiasts and shops the world over, carnauba wax is a paint-protecting coating derived from the leaves of the tree of life. You’re hard pressed indeed if you try to find a show car that hasn’t been lovingly glazed with this natural wax. Carnauba is highly waterproof and one of the hardest waxes known to man, but its biggest selling point is that it lends a warmth and depth to the color of your car’s paint that no other glaze can match. Carnauba also gives cars a beautiful lustrous shine that doesn’t appear to sit on top of the paint. Depending on your weather conditions and humidity, you’ll need to reapply the wax anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks after it’s first put on, and having your car machine washed can also cause the wax to degrade faster. Keeping your vehicle in a garage and washing gently by hand can help extend the life of the wax coating. Many car owners enjoy the routine of waxing and buffing their vehicles and treat it as a fun hobby. It can be incredibly satisfying to watch your vehicle’s colors come to life as you buff the wax. You can also opt to have your car professionally waxed at an auto body shop if you don’t want to do it manually. How Does Paint Sealant Differ From Wax? Because it’s made of synthetic polymers specially engineered to protect your car’s paint, auto paint sealant is far more durable and waterproof than carnauba wax. A coat of sealant, depending on the brand, can last anywhere from 4 to 6 months. It can easily withstand repeated car washing and driving through rain or mud. Unlike carnauba, paint sealant does not tint your car’s paint in any way, and in fact appears to sit on top of the paint rather than blending into it. A car coated in paint sealant appears to be encased in glass, lending a brilliant shine to the paint while maintaining its original color. Paint sealant is typically simple to apply. Many brands can be sprayed directly onto the car, though some must be carefully spread over the car’s body. Buffing is not necessary for paint sealant, though in some cases it can improve the shine by removing the worn upper layer of the coating. You Might Not Even Have To Choose! Some car lovers refuse to be pinned down by choice and opt to use both products. By adding both sealant and wax, you ensure absolute protection for your car in any weather. You also benefit from all of the aesthetic bonuses offered by both products: not only do your car’s colors appear lustrous, warm, and deep, but they also gain a dazzling glass-like shine. Applying both products is not a complex task, but it is time-consuming. The sealant must be applied first, and then the wax is applied...

If the thought of your teenager behind the wheel of a car fills you with dread, rest assured that you can take steps to help him learn to drive safely and sensibly — not just during the teen years, but for life. Here are five ideas to take for a test drive. 1. Prepare a Written Agreement A teenager living in your house and/or driving a car registered in your name should be subject to parental rules regarding driving behavior. Several insurance companies and other organizations have composed parent-teen driving agreements for this purpose. By signing the agreement, both parties state that they will follow its guidelines. The agreement may include rules regarding: Nighttime driving hours Safety belt and shoulder harness use The maximum number of passengers Obeying speed limits, school zones and other traffic laws Never driving while drowsy or otherwise impaired Never using a cell phone or other mobile device while driving Your auto insurance company might even offer a reduction in premiums based on your maintenance of a parent-teen driving agreement. It never hurts to ask! 2. Keep the Vehicle Free of Distractions While the parent-teen driving agreement may include rules about eating, drinking, and other distracting behaviors while driving, you can keep the vehicle distraction-free in other ways as well. For instance, if you own the car, you get to decide which accessories it should or shouldn’t have. Prohibit the installation of DVD players, gaming devices, cup holders, and other potential distractions. If you feel that your teenager absolutely must have a cell phone in case of emergencies, insist that the device be kept in the glove compartment. 3. Discuss Drugs and Alcohol Many parents hesitate to talk about chemical abuse with their children — but once teenagers start driving, that conversation becomes more critical than ever. Drinking plays a role in 50 percent of all Canadian teen auto accidents, while marijuana use before driving can almost double the likelihood of an auto accident. You may not be able to completely prevent your children from experimenting with these substances, but you can educate them on the dangers as one intelligent person to another. 4. Keep the Vehicle Roadworthy All drivers, from teenagers to seniors, face needless risks if they hit the road in poorly maintained or unreliable vehicles. Insist on taking the vehicle in for regular scheduled inspections, fluid checks, and other necessary maintenance. If the vehicle suffers from an obvious mechanical issue, don’t allow your teenager to drive it until the issue has been fixed. Bring your teen driver with you to the auto shop as a participant in discussions with the mechanic. 5. Facilitate Your Teen’s Training Driving schools like North Shore Driving School Ltd. help young drivers do more that just operate a car — they also educate them on the rules of the road, common safety hazards, how to respond to emergencies, and common-sense practices for safer everyday driving. Don’t just select the first Vancouver driving school you see advertised. Get recommendations from other parents, testimonials from former students, along with your own gut feelings about the school’s professionalism and the quality of its instructors. Keep in mind that constant practice is the only way your teen can hone his newly-learned driving schools. Make the time to drive together, practicing in safe areas...

Not everyone is a beach person. The mountains make for nice vacations too. And if you’re one of the chosen few who would rather linger lakeside than shuffle along the Eastern shore, grab your backpack and your mountain bike—adventure awaits you in prime vacation spots all across the United States. Acadia National Park, Maine Acadia National Park features 45 miles of trail that was once used for wagon passage—perfect for hikers and bikers. But it has amenities for the rest of the family as well—access to fishing, boating, skiing, snowshoeing and Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak along the Eastern coastline. If you enjoy camping in tents or cabins, or even if a comfortable family resort is more your style, Acadia National Park has something to delight you. The Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania A popular honeymoon destination in the eastern United States, the Pocono Mountains also make for a grand family getaway. Encompassing 2,400 square miles and four counties of northeastern Pennsylvania, the Pocono Mountains offer spectacularly sweeping vistas, incomparable fishing, boating, hiking, biking and more. Popular year-round adventure awaits in the forms of skiing, snow tubing, swimming, golfing, and white-water rafting. If your idea of a fun stay includes adventure, book your next vacation in the Poconos. The Pacific Crest Bicycle Trail, Western United States If seeing the sights from the seat of your bicycle sounds like a good time, mount the bike rack to the car and head out for the Pacific Crest Bicycle Trail that spans approximately 2,500 miles of prime real estate from Canada to Mexico. This trail runs adjacent to the Pacific Crest Hiking Trail in California, Oregon, and Washington State, and crosses it several times over. Along this bike trail, you’ll see everything from canyons to grassland to desert. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Southern United States Though it’s not affiliated with the National Park Service in the United States, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is still worth seeing. Situated on half a million acres of woodland in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, this area boasts over 800 miles of trails for hiking and biking. The park includes access to the Appalachian Trail, as well as the famed towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Getting back to nature is easy in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with its spectacular fall foliage and 1,500 species of plant life. But if you go, beware of bears. The Great Smokies are prime black bear territory. Colorado Springs, Colorado Hiking and biking adventures begin and end in Colorado. Local, state and national parks abound and offer numerous opportunities for boating, rock climbing, balloon rides, and more. A vacation in Colorado will net you skiing and rafting, fishing and golfing. Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Springs makes the perfect vacation for everyone in the family. Regardless of where you’re from or how far you plan to travel on vacation this summer (or winter), these mountain vacation spots have you covered. The United States plays host to a number of major mountain ranges, including the Adirondacks of New York, The Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States, the Rocky Mountains of the Midwest, and the impressive Sierra Nevada Range of California. Any one makes a beautiful change of pace to someone...

Canada’s has a $65 billion trucking industry that is responsible for employing over 260,000 drivers. The trucking industry is responsible for transporting approximately 90% of all consumer products that are needed within Canada, and around 60% of products that are traded with the U.S. Naturally, the trucking industry is a prosperous industry to enter and join. If you are investing in a new truck to further expand your career in this industry, you should consider the type of radiator your truck has, and familiarize with the advantages and disadvantages of switching to a cross flow radiator, like those at 99 Truck Parts & Industrial Equipment Ltd. What Is a Cross Flow Radiator? There are two different and distinct types of radiators that you can choose from: down flow radiators and cross flow radiators. The difference between the two lies in the mode of flow of liquid that goes through the radiator. The liquid coolant moves sideways through a cross flow radiator. Most cross flow radiators have a core that is made from aluminum while the supporting tanks are constructed from plastic or copper-brass. Unlike a down flow radiator, which will have gravity working against it, a cross flow radiator will hold onto the liquid coolant for a longer period of time; thus, allowing for more heat to be dissipated. The coolant enters the radiator through the inlet, which is located at the top, and then through the connecting tubes before exiting out of the bottom outlet, which is located at the opposite side of the inlet. What Are The Advantages Of This Type of Radiator? Knowing how a cross flow radiator functions, how can you make a decision in order to determine whether it is right for you? Simple, you can easily weigh out the pros and cons to determine which type of radiator will be most beneficial to your situation. Some of the distinct advantages that are offered by cross flow radiator include: higher performance. As mentioned before, a cross flow radiator is able to hold onto the liquid coolant for a little bit longer; thus, allowing more heat to dissipate. enhanced aesthetics. A cross flow radiator can allow for a lower profile hood design. having a higher surface area due to the height of the hood lines. A cross flow radiator is wider in comparison to a down flow radiator. cost efficiency. the design and manufacturing process of the cross flow radiators are easy and cheap. more versatile in how it can be mounted, which can result in a higher performance. Chances are that the dimensions of the cross flow radiator will be compatible with your truck. A cross flow radiator can be mounted higher than the engine. This is beneficial as the air and the coolant won’t mix even when the truck is operating at high engine RPMs due to the low velocity of air. If you decide to go with a down flow radiator, you will also need to install a surge pump and a bleed line. What Are The Disadvantages That You Need to Be Aware Of? Although a cross flow radiator may seem like a gift after understanding all of the advantages that it can bring, keep in mind that there are some distinct disadvantages that need to be factored into the equation before making...

If you have noticed lately that your car is guzzling more fuel, it might be time to take it to an auto repair shop to have a mechanic look at it. There are a number of things that cause cars to consume more gas, and a good mechanic will know exactly what to look for. Here are four of the common causes of this, and you should have these things fixed if they are not working properly. Oxygen Sensor The process of determining what is causing an increase in fuel consumption begins with troubleshooting, and the mechanic’s first step might be to check the oxygen sensor. If your car’s oxygen sensor is bad, it will generally cause the “Check Engine” light to come on. The mechanic can run diagnostics on the vehicle to find out if this is the problem, and this is a relatively easy fix. The purpose of this sensor is to control the amount of oxygen in the fuel your car burns. When the sensor wears out, it may cause the ratio to change, and this may cause your car to burn more fuel than it should be. A bad oxygen sensor will cause your car to use up to 20% more fuel, and most oxygen sensors only last for 100,000 miles. Tires The second thing the shop might check is the pressure in your tires. Underinflated tires can cause your vehicle to use more gas, and you may be able to save money simply by keeping your tires aired up. If the shop finds that your tires are underinflated, they will air them up. As long as the tires do not leak air, you should notice an improvement in gas consumption. To maintain this, find out what amount of pressure the tires should contain and check them every week. If they are low, fill them up to the correct amount of pressure. Spark Plugs Getting standard tune-ups on your vehicle may help you avoid using too much gas, and during a tune-up the mechanic will replace the spark plugs in your car. Your vehicle’s spark plugs play a role in fuel consumption, and this is one of the reasons tune-ups are important. According to Autos.com, cars need tune-ups every two years, or every 30,000 miles. The spark plugs in your car create sparks which is necessary for your engine to power up. As this is happens, it helps create the correct ratio of oxygen to gas. When spark plugs wear out, it causes the engine to misfire. This creates problems with the oxygen to gas ratio, and it may cause your car to use more fuel than necessary. Not only will old spark plugs cause a decrease in fuel economy, but they can also cause negative effects on your car’s performance. Fuel Injector For cars that are fuel injected, mechanics will often inspect the fuel injectors to make sure they are working properly. The purpose of a fuel injector is to deliver fuel to the engine to burn. Fuel injectors can wear out or become clogged, and this could cause several problems, including: Misfiring of engine Poor performance Reduced fuel economy If the injector is clogged, the mechanic may be able to fix the problem simply by cleaning it out. Worn-out injectors must be replaced...

About Me

Hello, my name is Dale Harding and welcome to my blog. Used cars can sometimes be easy to pass off as in better condition than they really are, and therefore it is very important to know what to look for in a car, before you buy it. We are going to discuss all things cars in the posts, so stay tuned to learn all about it!